One Love, One Heart
by Emma8745
Summary: Rachel Berry was in love. Who with? Well that part she wasn't quite sure of. Follow her in her quest to find herself, her love, and her heart.
1. Chapter 1

**Well, here's my first fanfic! I don't own glee or any characters! Enjoy!**

_"I love you Rachel Berry."_

_The words hung in the air. There was only one boy whom I wanted to hear these words from, and this was not him. No, Rachel. Don't think about Finn. He broke your heart. Remember? _

_"Jesse, I- I- uh…"_

_"Shhh," he placed a finger on my lips, "you don't have to answer now. I just wanted you to know the truth. You are the only girl for me."_

_I still remained speechless. A strange concept for me._

_"You should get to school. I have to be a Carmel in 25 minutes. Are we still on for tonight?" Jesse asked._

_"Yes, I'll see you at 7," I confirmed. _

_"Alright," he flashed one of his show smiles. "I love you."_

_I gave him a nervous smile. "See you later."_

"Rachel?" a voice asked. "Rachel? Is everything okay?"

I snapped out of my thoughts. "Mr. Schuester. I didn't see you there. Yes, I am perfectly fine. Just thinking about this weeks glee assignment."

"But I haven't made an assignment yet. It's only Monday and we don't have glee until after school. Are you sure you are all right?" he asked.

"Oh. Right. I meant that I had made my own little assignment and that was what I was thinking about. Sorry, Mr. Schue. I'll be out of your way now." I stood up from the piano bench and left the choir room. Thoughts of my conversation with Jesse from this morning still flooded my brain. _He loves me?_ After being tormented during the majority of my high school career so far, any type of positive emotion towards me was a little hard to believe.

Shouldn't he be on the other side? The side that hates me? He was the most talented member of the opposing glee club. He had movie star good looks and he could easily have any girl he wanted. He loves _me?_

My stroll through the school hallway was interrupted when I walked right into another student. My eyes traveled up and I was looking into the eyes of Noah Puckerman.

"Sorry," I mumbled and moved over to let him walk past. However he remained where he was and continued to look at me.

"Berry. I was just looking for you," he said. "I need to ask you a favor."

"Whatever it is, the answer is no," I said firmly, my mind only imagining the number of things he could be about to ask me.

"I cousin is getting married and I need to bring a date to the wedding," he stated. "She's Jewish like us, and wants the girl to be Jewish too. You're the hottest Jew around here, so what do you say?"

"Noah, we've tried the whole dating thing before and it didn't work out, remember? And, besides, I have a boyfriend. So, no I cannot be your date," I said, attempting to walk away.

"Hey, look," he sidestepped in front of me to block my path. "Can't you just do this one thing for me? Please? Just one small favor from one hot Jew to another."

"No. I refuse to be your accessory to a wedding that I don't even want to go to. Now, can you please move? I'm trying to get to class."

"Come on! It's just one date. Once it's over we never have to speak to each other again. Your little boy toy won't even know we went out. It will be like nothing ever even happened."

I folded my arms across my chest. "If I do this for you, do you swear you'll never bother me again?"

"I swear," he said, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

"Fine. One date. That's it."

"Thanks Berry. You're the best. You won't regret it, I swear!" He ran off down the hall leaving me alone in the hallway.

"Oh, I think I'm regretting it already," I said to myself.

**A/N The next chapters will be longer I swear! Please just give me any feedback and/ or suggestions! I'll update soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

**Does anyone else love weekends when you have no homework? Best feeling ever! Anyways, on to the story!**

**Oh, and not exactly sure if I need to do the whole disclaimer thing, but I'd rather not be sued, so you know, these characters do not belong to me…**

* * *

"Doesn't that boy know how to knock?" my dad asked angrily after Jesse honked his horn in the driveway for the fifth time. "Has he ever heard of manners?"

"Dad, I told him to honk the horn. He doesn't need to come up all the way to the house just to walk back to his car a second later," I told him. I waved to Jesse through the screen door so he would know that I would be right there. Next, I rushed to the hall closet and pulled out my shoes.

"Well, he doesn't need to honk five times," Dad sighed. "Your curfew is midnight, okay?"

"Yes, Dad. I'll be back before then, no worries." I finished putting on my shoes and waved goodbye to my dad before I headed out the door and walked to Jesse's car. I opened up the door and climbed in the passenger seat.

"Hello, gorgeous. How was your day at school today?" he asked, placing a kiss on my lips.

My conversation with Noah flashed through my mind. "Uneventful."

He backed out of the driveway and drove towards town. We made plans to go out to dinner at a restaurant that had just opened. I had told Jesse that a simple dinner at Breadstix would have been fine, and he responded by saying that he couldn't look 'cheap.' I love Breadstix. Does that make me cheap as well? Jesse always seemed to be all about image. He would jump on any opportunity to make himself look better. Sure, we all want to make ourselves look good to some extent, but I was beginning to think this side of Jesse was more of a flaw. Jesse always had to look perfect. It annoyed me sometimes. What happened to _nobody's perfect_ or _perfection is overrated_? Jesse clearly had other thoughts in his mind. The cover of Jesse really was perfect. Perfect hair. Perfect eyes. Perfect voice. He naturally drew everyone closer. However, what I have been realizing is that his insides are bare. I share everything with Jesse. My hopes, fears, likes, dislikes, and Jesse has never shared any bit of personal information. Anything that will make him look good is a new hobby of his.

_So, why am I dating him again? Oh, that's right, because no one else seems to want me around. Well, Noah does at least. _

I quickly shook the thought from my mind.

* * *

Jesse made us wait 45 minutes for a table at the restaurant because he just had to have a window seat. He claimed the restaurant might look more presentable if people saw him inside. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. And people think I'm high maintenance.

When we were finally seated it was nearly 8:30 and I was starved. I quickly grew a liking to the restaurant when I realize they had a vegan friendly portion of the menu. Most of the restaurants I go to require me to order something without the meat and I always get a glare from the waitress or waiter for making their job more difficult.

When the waitress came around to our table I ordered a salad for myself and Jesse ordered lobster. The waitress took our menus from us and left to go and place our food order.

"So, Rachel, how's the New Directions?" Jesse asked smoothly as he took a sip of his water.

"That doesn't seem like information I should be giving out to the enemy," I smirked, sipping my own water. "How do I know you can be trusted?"

"Seriously, Rachel," he said, refusing to play along. "I'm just trying to show some interest in your life."

"We're doing great. Thank you for asking," I sat back in my seat and stared at the floor.

"What's wrong, Rachy?" Jesse asked, taking my hand to get my full attention.

I pulled my hand from his and placed both hands in my lap. "Nothing's wrong. I guess I just envisioned tonight going better. Why don't we do something fun next time we go out? They opened up a karaoke bar downtown. We could try it out. Wouldn't that be fun?" I asked. "We've only ever sung a duet together once."

"Karaoke is for the untalented," Jesse said flatly. "I'd rather put my talents to good use. How about we go to the movies? I heard that Grease is playing."

"Okay. That sounds nice," I agreed. Sitting in a dark movie theatre wasn't exactly my definition of fun, but at least it was a musical.

* * *

"You're going to a wedding with Puck?"

I froze once I heard that voice. That ever so familiar voice that I used to love to hear.

"Finn." It was the only word I could manage to say at the moment. We hadn't exactly been on speaking terms ever since I got together with Jesse.

"You'll go on a date with Puckerman but you'll refuse to even look at me?" he asked.

"It's not like that," I said, taking a few steps towards him. "I have no interest in Noah. It's just a favor. Besides, I'm still with Jesse." He cringed at the name. "Finn, I care about you, I really do. We just… we don't belong together. We are toxic for each other. We bring out the worst in each other. We had our chance and now it's over."

"Rachel, I'm sorry. I screwed everything up with you and I couldn't regret it more," he spoke just as the bell rang.

"I'm sorry, Finn. I have to go." I turned on my heel and headed towards my class. My pace got quicker with every step I took towards my English class. I entered the room and quickly searched for an empty desk. Unfortunately for me, the only available seat was right next to Noah. I sat down and tried to avoid eye contact with him. Maybe he won't bother me.

"Hey, Berry, the wedding, it is next weekend. I'll give you more details later," he said to me. "Oh, and make sure you wear something short. I don't want it to look like I'm dating a prude."

I scoffed. "Your quite the charmer, Noah. I assure you that I will be wearing what I want without any suggestions from you."

"Come on, Berry, I've got a reputation to maintain."

"And going on a date with loser Rachel will boost your rep?" I asked, finally looking at him.

"I never said it would," he replied simply.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Okay class!" Mrs. Peck walked in the room. "Let's get started."

I made one final glance at Noah before I turned my attention to Mrs. Peck. What was he up to?

**Well, there's Chapter 2! I have school next week so I'm not exactly sure when I'll be updating again, but I've made it my goal to update at least once a week. **

**Please, please, please review! I want to know if you guys hate it and don't want me to continue or you guys want more and look forward to the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! I managed to write this chapter before school today! That's what happens when your cat wakes you up at 5 in the morning!**

**Now, onto the story!**

* * *

"Noah!" I chased him out of the English classroom and into the hallway. "Noah!" I grabbed hold of his arm and forced him to turn around and face me.

"What?" he asked, looking slightly annoyed. He shook my hand away from his arm.

"Do you really need me to go to the wedding because I am Jewish, or is there any other reason?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes. "What other reason would there be?"

"Noah, I've been humiliated before, and I refuse to let it happen to me again. Just be honest with me. Why did you ask me to go to this wedding with you?"

"Why do you always assume that I'm the bad guy?" he threw his hands in the air. "I'm not always out to ruin everyone's lives you know."

"Noah, I didn't mean it that way, okay?" I said, grabbing his arm again so he wouldn't walk away from me. He glared down at my hand and I quickly let go, crossing my arms over my chest instead. "It's not everyday that someone actually shows interest in doing something with me. So, forgive me for thinking it was something else."

He shrugged his shoulders and turned around, walking away from me without another word.

* * *

"Rachel, darling, how was school today?" my dad asked as I walked into the house that afternoon after school.

"I was fine," I replied, placing my backpack on the couch and then sitting next to it. "How was work today?"

"It was good," he said, nodding his head. "Listen, Rachel, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Is something wrong?" I asked, becoming concerned.

"No, no, it's nothing like that," he began. "I was thinking last night and I realized that I haven't gotten the chance to properly meet this Jesse fellow. So, I was wondering if you would like to invite him over to dinner tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night?" I asked. "I'll call him right now and ask him." I skipped up to my bedroom and shut the door behind me. I had no doubt in my mind that the dinner would go wonderfully. Jesse had always been good at making first impressions. I dialed his number in my cell phone and held it up to my ear as it began to ring.

"Hello?" Jesse answered after the third ring.

"Jesse? It's Rachel," I said into the phone. I paced around my room; it was a habit of mine, not being about to stay still while on the phone.

"Rachel? This isn't a good time. Vocal Adrenaline is rehearsing right now. Make it quick," he snapped.

I hesitated, shocked by the harshness of his voice. "Are you free tomorrow night? My dad wants to invite you over for dinner."

"Tomorrow night? Yeah, sure I'll be there," he replied. "I've got to go Rachel, I'll pick you up tomorrow morning before school like usual."

"Okay, I'll see you then," I said and hung up the phone. I smiled; tomorrow was going to be great. My dad was going to love Jesse. What was not to love? He loved musicals, show tunes, old movies, and everything else that my dad loved. Come to think of it, Jesse and I were a lot alike. In some ways he was the male version of me. I shook my head. That was too weird to think about.

* * *

"So, what does Jesse like to eat? I'd like to prepare him something he likes for dinner tomorrow night," Dad said that evening during our family game night. Tonight's game was _Sorry!_

"Anything fancy is fine," I replied. "I don't know what his favorite foods are, but I do know simple meals aren't his thing."

"How about we make the famous Berry lasagna? Everyone loves that," dad suggested. "You could help make it if you'd like."

"Okay, I'm sure he would enjoy that," I said, sliding my last red pawn out of the start area. "I'm sure all of you will get along wonderfully. He fits in very well with our family. Broadway, music, he's in to all that."

"He sounds incredible already," Dad smiled. "So, Rachel, how did you and Jesse meet again? I don't think you've ever mentioned it."

"He's in vocal adrenaline. The lead singer actually. We met at the music store when we were both looking for music for our glee clubs," I explained. "We sung a duet together, and let me tell you, our musical chemistry was incredible! It's so wonderful to finally have someone who can keep up with me vocally."

"What about that other boy you used to always talk about? What was his name? Flint?"

"His name is Finn," I corrected. "We sing together and that's all. Jesse's great. I don't need anyone else."

"Okay. Calm down. I was just wondering," Dad chuckled.

* * *

"My dad is very excited to meet you," I said to Jesse on the car ride to school the next morning. "He has the evening all planned out."

Jesse smiled from his position in the driver's seat. "I'm looking forward to meeting too. I'm sure they are terrific. You know, I never understood why guys always got so freaked out when meeting the parents."

"Well, you're naturally charming. You don't ever have to worry about someone not liking you," I told him.

"You're sweet," he smiled. "So, next weekend the theatre downtown is putting on a show. _Wicked_ to be exact." My face lit up. "Would you like to go?"

"Would I like to go!?" I squealed, "Of course! _Wicked_ is one of my favorite shows! Next weekend seems so-"

"Seems so what?"

_Next weekend._

_The wedding._

_Noah._

"I can't go."

"What do you mean you can't go?"

"I already have something to do."

"Can't you cancel? Rachel, its not every weekend _Wicked_ plays in Ohio.

"I know, and I am so grateful that you asked me to accompany you, but I can't. I can't cancel my plans." _Why are you saying that Rachel? It's just a wedding with Noah! Oh course you can cancel!_

Jesse let out a deep breath and said no more.

I don't know why I didn't want to cancel the date with Noah. It's not like I owe him anything. Something was just telling me that I should go.

_What's wrong with you, Rachel?_

* * *

**Oooooooohhhhhhhh :) **

**Coming up next is the dinner with Jesse and Rachel's dad! How do you think the dinner will go? Good or bad?**

**Keep on reviewing! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright, first of all, to clear any confusion this is a Puckleberry story. I know Rachel kind of despises him now, but just give the girl some time. :)**

**And now, the dinner!**

* * *

The scent of lasagna filled the entire house. Everything had just been cleaned to perfection, which wasn't too hard considering we were a generally neat family. I glanced at the clock once more; Jesse should be here any minute. He planned on arriving at 7:00, right after he finished Vocal Adrenaline rehearsal that want on for an extra hour on Fridays.

Finally, the doorbell rang, signaling his arrival. _This is it!_

My dad smiled wide at the sound, he was obviously excited to meet Jesse. I hurried to the door, hoping to get there before my dad did, but once I reached my destination my dad already had his hand on the handle. He swung the door open and smiled at the visitor. _Please don't embarrass me!_

"You must be Jesse," my dad greeted. "I've heard so much about you!"

_Really, Dad?_

"Come on in," my dad stepped aside, allowing Jesse to step into the house. He entered, wearing a dress shirt and pants while holding a large bouquet of roses in his hands. This was, in fact, the first time he had ever actually been inside the house. His eyes scanned the foyer critically before they finally landed on me. He smiled in my direction.

"Hello, Rachel," he said.

"Jesse," I said in return.

"Oh, are those roses?" my dad asked, finally noticing the roses. "How thoughtful, Jesse. Rachel, isn't this thoughtful?"

"They're lovely." _Even though I told him last week that I loved lilies._

"We need to put these in some water. I'll go and get a vase for them," my dad said, running off with the flowers.

Jesse walked forward until he was standing right in front of me. He smiled before he leaned down and kissed me, "Your house is incredible."

"Your flowers are incredible," I replied, getting another kiss. "We should probably get to the kitchen. My dad doesn't really understand the concept of privacy. He'll probably barge in here any moment."

"Okay," he chuckled. He followed me down the hallway, "Do I smell lasagna?"

"Yes, I helped my dad make it earlier. Trust me, you've never had lasagna until you've tried the Berry family recipe. It's to die for."

"I can hardly wait."

We entered the kitchen just as my dad placed the flowers in a large vase. He stepped back for a moment to admire them and then stepped forward to readjust them in the vase.

"Help yourself, Jesse," my dad said, gesturing to the lasagna. "And if you need anything, don't be afraid to ask. Our house is your house."

"Thank you very much," Jesse said as he grabbed a plate.

We all grabbed our food and filed into the dining room. Jesse's roses were placed in the center of the table, the scent slowing filling the room. While my dad and Jesse seemed to think the roses symbolized love and peace, the flowers simply reminded me of Jesse's perfectionism. Roses. They were so _safe._ They were the general date flower. There was nothing original about them, and no reason behind the purchase of the flowers. Typical Jesse. He just had to get the roses.

* * *

"So, Jesse, you're in Vocal Adrenaline, right?" Dad asked, finishing up with his lasagna.

"Yes, I am. I go to Carmel High," Jesse answered.

"Ahh, I see. How far away is Carmel from here? It must take you a while to drive here," Dad questioned.

"Well, normally it would be about a 45 minute drive, but my parents are out-of-town so I've been staying with my Aunt. Her house is about half way between here and Carmel, so the travel time isn't bad at all."

"That's nice," Dad commented. "What else do you do for fun? Besides singing, I mean."

"I dance," Jesse answered, "and I've also been trying to write my own play."

"Really? That's great!" Dad smiled. "What inspired you to try writing?"

"Actually, your daughter did," Jesse smiled in my direction. "A small town girl with big dreams, someone had to write it down."

A smile came to my face, "Really? Why didn't you ever tell me that?"

"I was planning on it being a surprise. Someday when we are both living out our dreams in New York City, you'll get to play the lead."

I grabbed his hand underneath the table. Sure, Jesse had a lot of flaws, but all the good always outweighed the bad. He truly was an amazing guy.

* * *

The rest of the evening went great. We all sat around the table sharing stories and laughing together. It was just as I had expected it to go. Jesse fit in perfectly with my my small little family. We really had something special.

Later on, I walked Jesse out to his car. I leaned in to kiss him goodnight, but froze when I saw a serious look on his face.

"Is everything okay?" I asked him.

"Rachel, have you given any thought to what I said to you?" Jesse asked.

I gave him a questioning look, "What are you talking about?"

"I love you, Rachel." I grabbed both my hands. "I really do. I want to make sure that you know that."

"I do," I said, kicking a rock around with my shoe. "I know you do."

He looked down at the ground. That was obviously not the desired response.

"Jesse, I don't know what else to say."

He shook his head. "I'll see you Monday before school." He opened his car door and slid into the driver's seat.

"Jesse, can't we talk about this? I'm sorry!"

He shook his head again. "I've got to go. Goodbye, Rachel."

"Jesse!" I called after his retreating car. He backed out of the driveway and sped away. I let out a deep breath. What was so hard about saying it back? It's so simple. _I love you too. _It was simple to say, as long as _you _was the correct person.

* * *

As I was preparing for bed that night, my cell phone suddenly began to ring. I read the caller ID, _Noah Puckerman._

I sighed as I answered the phone. "Can I help you?"

"Rachel?" he slurred, he had clearly been drinking. "Rachel! You answered."

"Noah, is there a reason you are calling me at 11 at night?" I demanded. And he wondered why I never wanted to be around him. He's so immature.

"Have I ever told you how pretty you are?"

_Wait, what? _"Noah, how much have you had to drink?"

"Just a teeny bit," he said into the phone. "Have I ever told you how amazing you are?"

"Noah, you don't know what you're saying," I said. "You need to go home and get some rest. I'll see you Monday, okay?"

"But, Rache-" I hung up the phone before he could continue.

* * *

**And the plot thickens :) :)**

**Keep up the reviewing!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello my fabulous readers :) Here is another chapter! I hope you enjoy it, this is kind of a big chapter for Rachel!**

* * *

_Rachel- Carmel's spring break is this week and we took a last-minute trip to L.A. I'll see you next Monday. –Jesse._

I read the text message over a thousand times, or at least it seemed like it was a thousand times. What? That's it? No goodbye? No warning that he was leaving? He had told me that he would drive me to school. This wasn't like Jesse.

And why L.A.? Last time I checked, Jesse hated L.A. because it was for, as he puts it, the wannabes. Not that I was disagreeing, but it was just so out of character. Jesse wasn't a spur of the moment kind of guy. He freaked out if I ever tried to surprise him or change any of our plans. He was a tight scheduled man, and he had always seemed content with his choice of lifestyle.

Maybe he's finally realized that it is a time for change. Maybe he finally figured that he can't always be perfect and he's finally living a little.

No, if Jesse really were trying to change his attitude, he wouldn't have gone this far out. His idea of "walking on the wild side" was blaring show tunes while driving 10 mph over the speed limit with the windows down.

Maybe he was kidnapped and is being held captive in his basement? Maybe someone was so jealous of his remarkable talent that they decided to get rid of the competition. He could be dead by now!

_Rational thinking, Rachel. Calm down. He's just enjoying a simple week in L.A. with his Vocal Adrenaline friends. Everything is okay._

_…I need an aspirin._

* * *

"Well, here we are," Dad put the car in park in front of the high school. He took a sip of his coffee. He wasn't used to waking up this early to take me to school since Jesse had taken over the role of chauffeur. I really need my license.

"Thank you for the ride," I smiled apologetically. "I don't mean to disrupt your morning."

"Oh, no worries darling. I'm happy to do it. It's been a while since we've done anything just the two of us. This was nice," Dad responded.

I nodded in agreement. "You're right, it has been a while. Do you remember when we used to always go and get ice cream after kindergarten? I'd always get strawberry and you would order vanilla?"

"Yes, I do remember. We visited so often the man behind the counter knew us by our first names. What was his name again?"

"Jeremy," I replied, lost in the memories of my childhood. "He used to have our orders ready for us when we walked through the door." I glanced out the window and looked at the school, remembering that I needed to get to class. "I should get going. Don't want to be late."

"Yes," Dad responded. "Have a nice day today!"

"I will, you too," I said as I exited the car. I waved to him when he began driving away. He turned out of the parking lot and headed towards home. I entered the school building and went straight to my locker. After I gathered all the necessary supplies for my morning classes, I headed to my favorite room in the entire building: the auditorium. It was the place I came to think, sing, sometimes I even ate my lunches in there. It was the only place that I could truly be alone. _It's not like any of the other glee members are dedicated enough to practice outside of glee. (With the exception of Kurt.)_

The piano sat by itself in the center of the stage. The light reflected off the black paint and made the piano seem like it was glowing. The piano is such an amazing instrument. Brad's sheet music from glee practice was still attached to the music stand. I lightly tapped the piano keys once I was sitting on the bench. The noise floated all over the auditorium.

I stopped playing as I concentrated on the million thoughts flying through my head. Homework, glee, family, school… boys. _Boys. Jesse. Noah._ Jesse didn't seem to actually care about me at the moment. He loves me? Well, he sure has a funny way of showing it. Does he even know what love is? Do I even know what love is?

I've been struggling with it ever since Jesse told me he loved me. He blindsided me with his confession. How did he know? Everyone says that when you love someone, you just know. Know what? I don't feel anything when I see him. I don't constantly wish I were with him. I don't feel connected to him in any way. I don't feel butterflies in my stomach when I'm around him.

Why can't I feel anything? Why is this so hard for me?

_I don't love Jesse._

The thought alone lifted a huge weight off my shoulders.

_I never loved Jesse._

It was a huge revelation. Yes, I cared about him, but I never loved him. He was a rebound from the very beginning. I only dated him to feel wanted… appreciated. I never would have had a conversation had my heart not been broken. I never would have even spoken to the competition.

I felt so much better. No more pressure. No more worries. And as soon as Jesse gets back, I'll need to tell him the truth. Now, there was something to worry about.

* * *

The first thing I noticed in glee rehearsal that afternoon was Noah's absence. Only eleven of us occupied the choir room. Come to think of it, he wasn't in English class either. I just figured he was skipping class, as usual, but I guess I was wrong.

I still thought about his words from Friday night. _Pretty. Amazing. _What was he getting at?

He was drunk. He didn't know what he was saying. I was probably just the potential hook-up of the night. _Gross._

It wasn't like him to miss glee. He may cut class and generally not care about anything, but he loved glee club. He'd never admit that, but he loved it. He loved it for the same reason all of us did. We were special in glee club. We were needed in glee club.

So why would he skip? Maybe he was avoiding something? Me? No, Noah wouldn't skip because of that.

"All right everyone," Mr. Schuester walked into the room, clapping his hands to get everyone's attention. He scribbled the week's assignment onto the white board and began explaining it to us. I would have been paying attention, but I still couldn't get my mind to focus. Every time I tried to distract myself from my thoughts another one would pop into my mind. I felt like I had a mind curse, and I couldn't escape it. Why was I always so worried about everyone else's problems? Maybe I was better off when no one liked me.

* * *

**I'm sorry that just kind of ended. I was having a bit of trouble finding a good way to end this chapter, and I couldn't really think of anything. But regardless, I hope you enjoyed it! **

**Keep on reviewing! Your opinion is greatly appriciated!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here it is! The wedding date! :D :D This chapter was so much fun to write! :) I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

The rest of the week went by quickly. I had a test in my Algebra II class on Wednesday (super easy, I have no idea why everyone else claimed it was hard), a presentation to do in English class about my views of modern plagiarism (and I care about this because…?), and I had a new lab to do in Chemistry (it didn't go too bad, all we did was test how different chemicals react when being burned. How easy). But other than that, the week went by quickly.

The only real complicated part of my week happened on Tuesday. It was just before class began in the morning, and I was on my way to my locker…

I walked through the halls of William McKinley High School on my way to my locker. I still had no word from Jesse, or Noah. It was all a bit strange, and I couldn't help but think they were purposely trying to ignore me. Well, that's not totally false. According to the student blog websites I am biggest loser in the school.

_I turned around the corner that led to my locker, and saw something strange. Right in front of my locker stood one Noah Puckerman. He had his phone pulled out, typing quickly, and placing it back into the pocket of his jacket._

_"Hello, Noah?" I said as I approached my locker. "What are you doing here?"_

_He looked at me and moved out of the way of my locker so I could open it. "I had some more details for the wedding this Saturday. I'll be picking you up at 1:00. Is that okay?"_

_"Yes, that sounds good," I replied. I finished gathering my books. "So, did you have a good weekend?" I hoped that he would mention anything about his phone call to me._

_"Yeah, from what I remember of it at least," he said. _

_"Oh. So you don't really remember anything of it?" I asked. "Not even who you talk to or anything?"_

_"No," he said. "Why did something happen?"_

_"No," I shook my head. "I should get to class. I'll talk to you later, okay?" I stepped around him and walked off to class. So much for getting any answers from him._

So, now I am sitting in my bedroom, trying to figure out what to wear for my date tomorrow with Noah Puckerman. _I never thought I'd say that!_

Noah was being shockingly sweet to me lately. He had walked with me through the school hallways sometimes during the last week. Sometimes after I was done at a class he would already be in the hallway, waiting for me. At first, we usually talked about the wedding. Noah told me about all his family members. His family on his mother's side all seemed to be so sweet; I was looking forward to meeting them. The more we got to know each other, the more often our conversations would drift off to something unrelated to the wedding. We talked about everything and nothing at the same time, I discovered that we actually had more in common than I had initially thought.

Sometimes I caught myself wondering what it would be like to date Noah Puckerman. Not date him like we did the last time when we spent all of our time making out in my bedroom, but to actually date him. Whenever I caught myself thinking about this, I had to make myself stop. Whatever mixed feeling I may have been feeling towards Jesse, I was still very much in a relationship, and I refuse to cheat. No matter how much I wanted to sometimes.

* * *

The next morning I woke up in a wonderful mood. Weddings always put me in a good mood. Being able to watch two people commit to each other fully for the rest of their lives was a spectacular thing.

I climbed out of bed and headed over to my elliptical to being my morning work out. After my work out I would shower, eat breakfast, do some housework for my dad, and then prepare for the wedding. When I had first told my father about the wedding he immediately questioned the fact that I was going to a wedding with Noah rather than my _boyfriend._ He was confused because I had just brought Jesse home to meet him and then suddenly running off on a date with another boy. I had to sit him down and explain to him that Noah was just a friend and I was in no way being unfaithful to Jesse. My father had raised me to always put the feelings of others into consideration, and just wanted to make sure I still lived by the same standards.

* * *

I pulled my brand new blue dress otver my head and then twirled around in front of the mirror. The dress was light blue and ended at my knees. I placed a white colored wrap around my bare shoulders to keep them warm. _Ohio weather isn't the best during the month of March. _My hair was perfectly curled, and I had on a simple white headband to keep my bangs out of my eyes. It wasn't very often that I truly felt good about myself, and today was one of the rare days that I did. I felt confident in saying that I looked good.

"Rachel," my dad called to me, "Noah is here!"

"Tell him that I'll be right there," I called back. I put some money into my purse along with my phone, lip balm, and a pack of gum. The, I sat down on the edge of my bed and put my heels on. I looked at myself one last time in the mirror to fix my hair and dress. When I was satisfied that I was wedding ready, I exited my room and made the descent down the staircase.

After taking a few steps, Noah and my father came into view. The two of them were chatting away, paying no attention to me making my grand entrance whatsoever. I cleared my throat, getting them to turn their attention towards me. When they were all looking, I continued to walk down the stairs. When my descent was finished all three men were speechless for a moment.

"Rachel! You look so incredible!" my dad said. "You've grown up so fast!" He came closer to pull me into a hug.

"Dad!" I giggled, pulling away from his embrace.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked him. He nodded his head and followed me towards the door.

"I'll see you when you get home, Rachel," my dad called after me. I waved goodbye to my father and then walked with Noah out to his car.

Noah opened the passenger door for me to get in and closed the door behind me before walking around the car to get into the driver's seat. When he was seated and had the car started he looked over at me, "Rachel, you look beautiful. Really, you do."

I smiled brightly, "Thank you, Noah. You look nice as well. I don't think I have ever seen you in a suit and tie before. It looks good on you."

"Thank you," he replied. He put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway. The car ride to the wedding took about 45 minutes, in the time we spent in the car; there was not one moment of the terrible awkward silence. Throughout the duration of the trip we either talked or sang along with the radio.

Once again I felt myself wondering what it would be like to be in a relationship with Noah. No came off as just another Lima Loser that didn't care about anything but himself, but he was much more than that. He had the sweet and sensible side to him as well, a side that I was getting to see more and more. I was learning so many new things about him, and I could wait to learn more.

* * *

We arrived at the wedding 30 minutes before the ceremony was supposed to begin. Noah opened my door for me when we arrived. _He is so charming._ He led me other to a group of middle-aged women who were chatting outside the church.

"Noah!" the red-haired woman exclaimed! "I haven't seen you in so long! Come here and give your aunt Lisa a hug!" Lisa pulled Noah into a huge hug and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Who is this?" she asked him, looking at me.

"I'm Rachel," I said, holding out my hand for her to shake, "it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello, Rachel," Lisa shook my hand in return. "We were all wondering when Noah was going to get a girlfriend!"

I shook my head, "Oh, Noah and I aren't dating. We are just friends."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Lisa said.

"No, you're fine," I assured her. I smiled at Noah, who suggested that we went inside and took our seats. I followed him into the church and sat down with him in the middle of the right side. We were seated right next to his mother and little sister. I exchanged greetings with them, immediately learning that his mother was one of the sweetest people I had ever met. We had driven separately from them because his mom and sister were spending then night here with relatives while Noah had to get back home for work on Sunday.

The ceremony began shortly after that. The bridesmaids walked down the aisle in the most gorgeous lilac colored dresses that matched their flowers perfectly. We all stood as the bride walked down the aisle with her father at her side. Her dress was beautiful. Strapless with glitter running all the way down. I couldn't wait to be a bride one day.

All throughout the ceremony I could feel Noah glancing at me every so often. Whenever I would feel his stare I would glance over at him and send him a smile. He would smile back and then turn to watch the bride and groom again. Then, after a few minutes I would feel his stare again, and we would start the whole process over again.

* * *

The reception took place right after the wedding. We all gathered in one dining area and ate our meals. Noah's mom, sister, grandmother, Noah, and I were all seated at a table together. We chatted all the way through our dinner. I grew a liking to all of Noah's family members. They were all so kind to me, I felt right at home

A short time after we were done eating, Noah asked me to go and take a walk with him. We stood up and left the crowded dining area together and entered the quiet outdoors.

"So, what did you think?" Noah asked. "My family didn't totally freak you out, did they?"

"What? No!" I exclaimed. "Your family is lovely. I love them all. Especially your younger cousins. They are all so adorable."

"Well, I am sorry they kept bombarding you with questions. Especially about us dating. I didn't think they would ask you that," he said.

"Noah, seriously, it's fine. I don't mind at all. They were all so sweet. I know where you got your caring side from," I replied. "That's what I like most about you, you know. The fact that you can be tough when you want to, but at the same time be the sweetest guy I know."

"Really?" he asked.

"Well, yeah. I used to think you were just some guy that didn't care about anything, but the more I got to know you, the more I realized that you care about _everything._ I admire that about you, Noah."

"Thank you for saying that Rachel. You're the only person I know that has ever said anything like that to me and actually meant it," he said. "You're really cool."

I smiled. I never knew how good it could feel to actually feel appreciated, or how rewarding it would feel to actually be like by someone. Noah and I walked a few more steps in silence, before I felt his hand reach over and grab mine. I gasped in surprise and quickly retrieved my hand.

"What? Am I not allowed to hold you hand?" he asked.

"Of course you can," I responded. "I just don't want it to mean more to you than it does to me."

"What are you talking about, Rachel. I thought that ma-" his voiced trailed off for a second. "Is it Jesse?"

I sighed, "Noah, you know I'm still dating him. He may not be here right now, but I still belong to him. I'm sorry."

"No," he shook his head. "I'm sorry. I took it too far. Do you want to just head home? It's getting pretty late."

"Sure," I agreed. We walked back inside to grab our coats and to say goodbye to everyone. My emotions were conflicted. On one had I felt like I was making the right decision by not cheating on Jesse, but on the other hand things with Noah just felt so _right._

_What am I going to do?_

* * *

The car ride back home was silent. We didn't say a word the entire time. Only the faint sound of the radio playing filled the car with noise. When we finally pulled into my driveway it was nearly 12:00.

I had spent the majority of the car ride sorting out my thoughts. It was late, I was tired, and maybe I wasn't thinking as rationally as I probably should have been at the moment, but I made my decision.

_No turning back now..._

"Noah?" I asked when put the car in park.

"Yeah?" he asked, sounding more tired than anything.

"I've been thinking about something."

"About what?" he questioned, looking into my eyes.

I didn't respond. I couldn't respond. I stared deep into his eyes, trying to think of a reason to back out, and none came to mind.

I took a deep breath.

I kissed him.

* * *

**AHHHH! :D :D **

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	7. Chapter 7

**Hey! Sorry that it took me a while to update! I was having a lot of trouble trying to figure out how to write this chapter! There are so many possibilities! Anyway, I finally finished it, and I hope you like it! :) Enjoy!**

* * *

_I had spent the majority of the car ride sorting out my thoughts. It was late, I was tired, and maybe I wasn't thinking as rationally as I probably should have been at the moment, but I made my decision._

_No turning back now…_

_"Noah?" I asked when he put the car in park._

_"Yeah?" he asked, sounding more tired than anything._

_"I've been thinking about something."_

_"About what?" he questioned, looking into my eyes._

_I didn't respond. I couldn't respond. I stared deep into his eyes, trying to think of a reason to back out, and none came to mind. _

_I took a deep breath._

_I kissed him._

I felt him tense up at the sudden movement, and then he relaxed once more and kissed me in return. The kiss was different than it was back when we were dating. We were doing it because we wanted to, not because we had ulterior motives.

Noah pulled back first, and had a look of confusion and happiness on his face. "What was that for? I thought you belonged to Jesse?" Despite the darkness of the night, I could still see the smirk he was currently sporting.

"Yeah, but I am open to trying new things," I replied, seeing his smile grow. "I should probably head inside before my father starts worrying," I said with disappointment. "I had a great time tonight, Noah. We should go out again sometime."

"Okay," he responded. "Should I call you tomorrow?"

"You can if you want to," I shrugged, hoping that his answer would be a yes.

"I'll call you tomorrow," he said. We kissed one more time. "Goodnight, Rachel."

"Goodnight Noah," I smiled before getting out of his car. I walked up to my front doorstep and waved goodbye to him as he pulled out of the driveway and drove away. I sighed contently. Today was a good day.

* * *

I woke up the next morning feeling better than I have in a long time. I had spent so long constantly asking myself what was missing in my life. I had always felt so empty inside, and I know knew what was missing: Noah Puckerman. If you had told me a year ago that one day I would be dating Noah Puckerman, I would have laughed in your face. Granted, a year ago Noah was still throwing shushies in my face on a daily basis, but we were past that now. Noah made me happy. He treated me well. I was finally happy.

I spent the rest of the day doing my homework, cleaning my room, and making dinner for my father and myself. I had kept myself plenty busy throughout the entire day, and I only stopped when I heard the doorbell ring. I stopped cleaning my bedroom to skip down the stairs to see who the visitor was. I could only hope that it was Noah, coming in for a surprise visit. My heart soared at the thought and I quickened my paced towards the door.

As soon as I reached the door, I pulled it open as fast as I possibly could. The smile on my face quickly turned into a frown as I registered who was standing in front of me.

"Jesse?"

"Hello, Rachy," he said, sidestepping me and walking into the house. "I just got back home from L.A. and let me tell you, it was incredible. I never thought I would be one to like a place as mediocre as L.A., but it's always nice to try something new. We went to this karaoke thing one night, and I blew the audience away. You should have seen it." He turned around towards me and planted a big kiss right on my lips. "I missed you, Rachel."

"A karaoke thing?" I knew there was so many better things I could have said to him in that moment, but his karaoke night comment was the only thing that stuck in my mind. "I thought karaoke was for the untalented."

"Rachel, I know I said that, but this is L.A. karaoke. It was nice to be able to sing with someone who actually knew what they were doing."

"Oh, so I wouldn't be a suitable karaoke partner?" I shot back at him.

"That's not what I meant," Jesse said. "What's gotten into you Rachel? Aren't you happy for me? Didn't you miss me at all?" He didn't give me a chance to answer, "Of course you did, what am I talking about."

"Jesse, I think that we should break up," I said with asseriveness.

Jesse paused for a moment before waving his hand dismissively. "Stop joking around Rachel. Come on, let's go spend some time together, it's been a week since we've seen each other."

"No, Jesse, I am breaking up with you. It's over. We are though. No more," I felt the need to continue on so he would get the hint.

"Rachel, seriously, this isn't funny."

"I am being serious!" I yelled at him. We were both a little taken aback at my sudden outburst. I had never actually yelled at him, or anyone, before.

Jesse seemed to finally understand what I was trying to say to him. "Rachel, what's going on?"

I sighed, "I'm sorry Jesse. I just really need to end things before they get too out of hand."

"Rachel, what ever is going on with you, we can work though it."

"No, Jesse, we can't. You need to leave," I was getting more and more frustrated with his denial. Why couldn't he just take a hint?

"Rachel, we aren't breaking up. We can make it through this, trust me."

"No, Jesse. Why is this so hard for you to understand?" I was raising my voice again. "We are over."

"Why are you doing this?" Jesse asked. "Why are you trying to break up with me?"

"Because I cheated on you!" I blurted out without even thinking. I saw Jesse's face fall; I had never felt more terrible in my life. He dropped my hand and began to back away. "Jesse, I am so sorry."

He shook his head and headed over towards the door, "You know what Rachel? Before we started dating I asked around about you. I heard a lot of things about you, Rachel, but no one ever said that you were mean. Don't talk to me, okay? Just leave me alone." He walked out the door and slammed it behind him, the slam making the house rattle. I slid down to the floor and started to cry. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt anybody, and now I've gone and completely shattered Jesse's heart. He loved me, and I never said it back. I cared deeply about him, and he's never going to know that. He'll always remember me as that girl he dated in high school that cheated on him.

* * *

**Well, there it is! Poor Rachel, but at least she still has Noah! :)**

**Make sure to leave a review telling me what you guys hope will happen next, I really want to know what you guys think!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi everyone! Here is the next chapter! :D**

* * *

I had my face buried in my pillow when Noah called. I let out a very muffled "Hello?"

"Rachel?" Noah's voice came through clearly, worry written all over it. "Is everything okay?"

"No." I said simply, rolling over onto my back. "Everything is not okay. I am a horrible heartless person. Everything I do is wrong."

"Rachel, what are you talking about?" Noah asked. "You're an amazing person. Did someone say something to you?"

"No, not exactly," I said back to him through my tears. "I broke up with Jesse."

"Jesse? Did he do something?"

"No, it's just… he came over after getting back from his trip, and I tried to break up with him, but he wouldn't leave, and then I told him that I cheated on him, and-" I couldn't continue because my tears were falling too heavily.

"Rachel? What happened? Talk to me, please," Noah pleaded. "What did he do to you?"

"I didn't mean to hurt anyone," I choked out. "I didn't mean to break his heart. It all just happened so fast! You were being so sweet and nice to me and Jesse has always been so mean to me, and… it just happened!"

"Rachel, what do you mean by 'Jesse has always been so mean to me'? Did he do something?"

"No, he's just always been so full of himself and left me alone all the time. He left for California without saying one word to me about it, and then you and I had that wedding date, and it was terrific, and I really like you Noah. I like you so much, but I didn't want to hurt anyone, and now I've gone and broken Jesse's heart."

"Rachel, if he treated you that way, I'm sure he isn't too upset right now. He's probably off doing whatever it is that Jesses do. From what you said it seems to me like he didn't treat you very fairly, and you shouldn't get too hung up over someone like that. You're an amazing girl, Rachel Berry, a girl that deserves the absolute best in life, and let me tell you something, Jesse St. James is not the best."

I felt a new wave of tears coming on, but I wasn't crying for the same reason as before. "Do you really mean that, Noah?"

"Of course I do, Rachel," he said. "You mean so much to me, Rachel. You're my girl now, right?"

My heard soared. "Of course. And you're mine. Thank you for making me feel better. It means so much to me, you have no idea."

I heard him chuckle through the phone. "Whenever you need me I'm just a phone call away." He paused for a moment. "Do you want me to pick you up for school tomorrow?"

"Only if you want to. I don't want you to go out of your way for me."

"It's not going out of my way. I'll be there at 7:15," he said.

That sounds perfect, Noah. I'll see you tomorrow," I said. I hung up the phone and placed it on my nightstand. Noah Puckerman was my boyfriend and I couldn't be happier about it.

* * *

I walked into the kitchen the next morning after my shower to eat my morning cereal. Dad was alredy siting at the table drinking his coffee.

"Good morning, sunshine, how did you sleep?" Dad asked, setting his coffee down.

"Great, how about you?" I replied, and I knew he could tell that I seemed happier than usual. I got out the cereal and milk and poured both into a bowl.

"I slept terrifically, thank you for asking," Dad responded. "You seem to be in a good mood this morning. I thought you mentioned that you and Jesse broke up," Dad cut in. "What happened?"

Before I got my phone call from Noah last night, my dad came in to check on me because he heard me crying. I didn't fully explain what happened, but I did let hin know that Jesse and I broke up and I was _not _in the mood for talking. He left me alone after that, not wanting to deal with me when I was angry.

I sat down at the table next to him. "He wasn't the one for me, that's all." So what if I didn't tell him the whole story? He didn't really need to know the rest.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. Break ups are hard, but you know what? You're better off without him!" Dad exclaimed.

"Thank you, Dad," I said. "But I'm not too upset. There's another reason why I ended things with Jesse."

I could tell Dad knew exactly what I was talking about. Dad smiled, "It's Noah, isn't it?" I nodded towards him, smiling as well. "Oh, Rachel, that's wonderful. I knew that this would happen. The way his face lit up when he saw you on Saturday night."

"He's been so incredibly sweet to me," I said. "I'm confident that this is a good thing. A really good thing."

"Well, I am very happy for you," Dad said. "We better get ready to go if you want to get to school on time."

"Dad, it's fine. Noah is driving me to school today. He should be here any minute," I told him. "But thank you for offering to drive me."

Dad looked a bit upset about not being able to spend any more time with me, but he quickly shook it off. "That's fine, you have a good day."

"Thank you, you are the best!" I gave him a hug and then cleaned my empty bowl that contained my cereal. I heard a car door shut outside, and a few seconds later there was a knock at the door.

"I already approve," Dad said, gesturing towards the door, "This one knows how to knock!"

I giggled, "I love you, Dad."

"Goodbye, Rachel, have a nice day," he called after me as I headed out the front door.

I smiled as I saw Noah standing on the front porch, smiling at me. "Good morning," I said, accepting the kiss he gave me.

"Good morning," he replied. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yep," I said and followed him to the car. Just as he did on Saturday night, he opened the passenger door for me and closed it when I was inside the vehicle. I couldn't get over how sweet he was being. He climbed into the driver's seat and started the car again. As soon as we were on the road, he reached over and grabbed hold of my hand, holding it the entire way to school. I had never been more right about anything in my entire life. This was a _very _good thing.

* * *

**I hope everyone's enjoying the story!**

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	9. Chapter 9

**Here is a special Puckleberry date night! :) **

**Sorry it took me a while to write another chapter. I've been lacking inspiration lately :/**

**Anyways, here is the next chapter.**

* * *

We were like magnets. As soon as Noah and I walked into the school that morning, all eyes turned towards us. As if they weren't surprised enough the first time we were dating. It was a strange feeling to be the center of attention. Noah gripped my hand tighter the further we walked, as if to assure me that he wasn't going anywhere. I looked up at him and smiled, and he smiled back. We walked around the corner of the hallway and stopped by my locker. Noah leaned against the neighboring locker as he waited for me to exchange my books.

"So, I've been thinking," Noah began, letting his fingers trace down my arm and grab my hand again as he spoke. "Now that we are a real couple, I want to take you out on a proper date. No weddings that I am forcing you into, no jealous boyfriends in the way, and none of my family members forcing their way into your personal space. Just you, me, and the perfect evening."

"That sounds lovely, Noah," I said, still captivated by how sweet and charming he was being. It was like a whole new Noah Puckerman, a much better one at that. He was still himself in some ways, for example, he was still utterly obsessed with _Super Mario Brothers _and loved to tell me all about them, he was still intimidating to the whole school, and he still kept his Mohawk perfectly groomed. He just did things in a less ludicrous manner.

"How about tomorrow night?" he suggested.

I shook my head; "I have my piano lesson tomorrow night."

"Oh," he said dejectedly, "What are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing."

"Great. I'll pick you up at 6."

I was a little wary for a moment. Tonight seemed kind of soon, but I shrugged the feeling away and agreed to go on the date tonight. "Where are we going?"

"Well, Rachel, I'm afraid that is for me to know and for you to find out," he smirked.

I crossed my arms and held back a smile, "Fine. Don't tell me. I'll just spend my entire day unable to think about my schoolwork because my mind will be so preoccupied by the whereabouts of this date. I'll fail all of my classes today, and it will all by on your conscience."

"Yep, sounds about right." His smirk widened as he began to walk away. The bell sounded in the halls. "I'll see you in English class!"

I watched as he retreated down the hall, slipping into his first classroom. I shook my head and smiled, it was going to be a great day.

* * *

The day seemed to drag on and on. Our perception of time was quite strange, actually. When we have no interesting plans or are completely dreading something that is happening later on, time seems to fly by; however, when something incredible is happening time takes forever to go by.

So, here I sat in the middle of my Chemistry class, learning about Chromatography or something like that, bored to tears. I glanced at the clock, only twenty more minutes to go, and then World History, and then English.

I let out a sigh. It was going to be a while.

* * *

I slipped in my pink and black polka dot dress that evening. It was my favorite dress. Jesse always hated that dress. He said it was childish. _Stupid Jesse._ I know Noah will like it. He was so kind and considerate; I know he will like me in anything.

I struggled to pull the zipper up on my own. It took me a few tries to zip it over the midsection of my back, but I eventually pulled it all the way to the neckline. Next I slipped into my shoes: shiny black heels that I purchased over the summer last year. _Last year._ That was before glee club was even a real thing. Before Jesse and before Noah. I shook the thoughts from my mind. There is no reason to dwell on the past when the present is so incredibly amazing.

I walked over to my jewelry stand and looked through my selection of earrings. I picked out a pair of small black studs and put them into my ears. I then looked one last time in the mirror. I was actually very pleased with my appearance.

I exited my bedroom and headed down the stairs to the living room. Just Dad and I occupied the house tonight. He was currently in the living room, reading a book. I stomped down the last few steps to go his attention so he would look up from his book, and that's exactly what he did.

"Rachel, you look incredible," he said, "Is that the dress I got you for your birthday last year? Or was that the blue one?"

"No, it was this one," I replied. "It's my favorite dress, you know."

Dad smiled. "When is Noah getting here?" He closed his book and placed it on the coffee table beside his chair.

I glanced at the clock: 5:57. "He should be here any minute now." I sat by the window that allowed me to see the front side of the house so I could see when Noah arrived to pick me up.

"Rachel, I don't want you out too awfully late tonight since it's a school night, okay?"

"Okay, Dad, I'll be home early. I promise."

"So where is Noah taking you tonight?" Dad asked.

"He won't tell me!" I exclaimed, "and everyone knows how much I hate surprises!"

Dad just chuckled at my response. "I'm sure you'll have a great time regardless, Rachel. Noah seems to be a very nice young man."

"He is," I assured him. I noticed a car coming up the street, and I smiled when I saw the car pull into the driveway. "He's here." I got up from my seat. "I'll see you tonight, Dad."

"All right. Have fun!" Dad called after me as I headed out the door.

I skipped outside just as Noah finished getting out of the car. I ran up to him and leaped into his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck for support.

He quickly returned the hug, "I would have came to the door, you know." He kissed me as he set me back down on the ground.

"Yeah, I know, but I didn't want to wait."

He chuckled, "You look awesome by the way." He touched the material of my dress.

"Thank you," I replied with a smile. _I knew he'd like it!_

We walked around to the passenger side of the car and went through the usual routine. It was different to actually have a kind and considerate boyfriend rather than am arrogant and self-absorbed one. I favored having a boyfriend that was willing to make an effort for me. I liked him, he liked me, and everything was perfect.

We drove past all the houses on my street as we headed into town. I turned the volume up on the radio and began to sing along, as did Noah. We listened to a few songs before I turned the volume down again and started a conversation with him.

"So, are you ever going to tell me where you're taking me?" I asked him, wanting the surprise to be over. I already had an idea of where he might be taking me, but I wasn't positive. It seemed like it was an unwritten rule that dates be held at Breadstix in Lima.

"I suppose I could tell you now. I wanted to do something really special for you, but I couldn't really think of anything good enough for you. So, we are going to Breadstix."

"Noah, Breadstix sounds great. I don't care where we go. As long as I am with you, I know I'll have a good time."

He pulled our clasped hands up and kissed the back of my hand as he continued driving.

"I can't stay out late tonight because it's a school night," I informed him. "Dad wants me home early."

"That's fine. I have to be home early anyways. My mom hasn't been feeling well so I have to get my little sister, Hannah, in bed."

"Is your mom okay?" I asked him in slight alarm.

"Yeah," Noah replied. "She's going to the doctor's office tomorrow, but I doubt its anything serious. She doesn't get sick very often."

"Okay, that's good. I love your mom, she isn't allowed to be sick," I said. I turned the radio back up and began to sing along with Noah again.

* * *

When we arrived at Breadstix we were seated immediately at a table in the backside of the restaurant. It was my first time sitting in the back of the restaurant. It was much more intimate in the back than in the front. Jesse would hate it back here. No one would see him.

The waitress came around and took our drink orders. Lemon water for me and a coke for Noah. The waitress smiled at us and headed back towards the kitchen.

Noah and I spent the evening chatting away about nothing and everything. It was something I like most about Noah. We could be together for hours, and still have something to talk about. I told him about my Broadway dreams, and he told me about his dream of being in a band on an international tour someday. We discussed our likes/ dislikes, our hopes/ fears, and for a while we even talked about different lollipop flavors.

Our evening was going perfectly until I glanced at the clock and realized how late it was getting. "I should probably be getting home soon," I said to Noah. "I don't want to go against my Dad's orders."

"Yeah, I should probably be back home soon too," Noah said. The waitress came by our table, and Noah got her attention.

"Can I interest you two in a dessert menu?" She asked.

"No, can we just have the check please?" Noah asked.

"You sure can," the waitress replied. "I'll be right back with the check." She walked off towards the worker station and started pressing buttons on the computer. She came back shortly and placed the bill on the table. "You two have a nice night. Thank you for coming." She walked away again leaving Noah and I alone with the check.

I pulled out my change purse, "How much do I owe you?"

Noah shook his head. "Don't worry. I've got it."

"Are you sure?" I asked. Noah nodded in my direction. I sat back in my seat. Jesse never paid for my half of the meal. Sometimes he would claim that he forgot his wallet and I had to pay for the entire meal.

"All right," Noah placed the bill and tip on the counter. "Let's get out of here." He took hold of my hand and we walked out of the restaurant together.

* * *

Noah pulled into my driveway shortly after we left Breadstix and turned off the engine of his car.

"Thank you for taking me out tonight, Noah. I had a great time," I said.

"Yeah, I did too," he replied. "We should do this again sometime. Maybe we could go and see a movie or something sometime."

"That sounds great," I said. "I'm not doing anything this weekend. How about then?"

"Sounds good," Noah responded.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked. "Bright and early?"

"Actually, about that, I can't take you to school tomorrow. Since my mom has that appointment I have to make sure Hannah gets to school all right. I'll see you at school though."

"Okay. Tell your mom that I hope she feels better soon," I said. "And good luck at the doctor's office."

"All right, I'll tell her," Noah said. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." He leaned in and gave me a soft kiss on the lips. "Goodnight Rachel. Sweet dreams."

I smiled, "Goodnight Noah." I got out of his car and headed up to the porch. I turned around and waved goodbye to him and he back out of the driveway and drove home.

I walked inside and shut the door behind me, letting my head fall back against it. I wasn't sure exactly how strong my feelings for Noah were, but I was sure about one thing. I was falling hard and fast for Noah Puckerman.

* * *

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	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10! :)**

* * *

I was on top of the world.

It was unbelievable how happy I was.

It's almost too good to be true.

I was still processing the fact that Noah and I were dating. I know, I've spent a little too much time trying to grasp the fact that Noah Puckerman chose me over all the girls at McKinley High School, but it wasn't everyday that I was actually chosen for something let alone the person someone wanted to spend all their time with. At first I expected to randomly wake up at any moment to discover that it was all a dream, and I was still the most hated girl in school. However, I still woke up every morning, and Noah still felt the same about me.

I was walking through the school on my way to my locker. I was upset that Noah couldn't drive me to school this morning, but it was nice to have some father-daughter time again.

I got over the fact that I couldn't see Noah on the way to school when I remembered that I would get to see him at school. This realization made me quicken my pace to my locker.

I turned into the hallway that housed my locker, expecting Noah to be standing there waiting for me to arrive. However, the area surrounding my locker was empty. I walked up to my locker and put in my combination. As I exchanged my books, I looked up and down the hallway repeatedly, half expecting Noah to randomly show up.

Before I headed to my first class, I checked the whole school for Noah. First, I went into the choir room, only finding Mercedes and Tina sitting at the piano bench. Next, I checked the auditorium, finding it dark and vacant. Finally I checked the cafeteria, wondering if he might be conversing with his football teammates, but he was nowhere to be found.

I went through the entire school day with no sign of Noah. He usually stopped by all of my classes so we could walk together to the next one, but he never showed. I constantly checked my cell phone because of the possibility of a text message from him, but I received no new messages.

When I walked into my afternoon English class, my eyes scanned the room for Noah. He was always there before me, and I knew today would be no exception. But, today was the exception seeing as Noah was nowhere in the room. I had to sit by myself in the corner, hearing all the other kids make fun of me because I had no one to sit with. They all knew that I had no real friends, and they weren't afraid to show it. I sat through the entire English class in silence, thinking about Noah as I ignored the comments of the other students. I couldn't wait to get home.

As soon as I got home from school I dialed Noah's phone number. It rang and rang until the answering machine picked up, asking her to leave a message. I didn't bother leaving a message since I had to get ready for my weekly piano lesson soon. I knew that my carpool would be arriving at my house soon, so I decided to start getting all of my things together.

* * *

The piano lesson was disastrous. Miss Phearson wanted me to try a new song of a new difficulty level. She thought I was ready to challenge myself ever further. Any normal day I would have gladly accepted the challenge, and taken by storm. However, this was not any other day. My mind was in some other dimension, and my ability to stay focused on the task at hand was shot. Miss Phearson yelled at me for the entire duration of the song, making it even harder for me to play. I wanted to scream for joy when the hour of practice time was up. I practically ran out the door of Miss Phearson's house and jumped into the car waiting outside to drive me home.

I spent the majority of the car ride thinking of reasons for Noah to not be around. I refused to believe it was because he no longer liked me. I absolutely refused.

But why would he miss school?

And why would he not answer my calls?

I knew that he wouldn't just randomly skip. He was working on becoming a better student and skipping school wasn't exactly a quality of a good student.

The only other reason I could come up with was the possibility of him being sick, and that was very unlikely. Noah would never let the sniffles get to him. So, an illness was ruled out.

That's when a new idea struck me.

_Sick._

_His mother._

I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and called him again, getting his voicemail. "Hi Noah, it's Rachel," I said to his answering machine. "Please call me back as soon as you can. Talk to you soon." I hung up the phone and put it back into my pocket.

"Is everything okay?" Linda, the carpool driver, asked. "You seem a little worried."

"No, everything is fine," I lied. "Thank you for asking though." We returned to sitting in silence until we arrived at my house. "Thank you for the ride, Linda. I'll see you next week." I climbed out of Linda's car.

"No problem, dear, I'll see you soon." Linda's car backed out of the driveway and drove away. I turned around to walk up to my house, but a car parked on the side of the street caught my attention. It was Noah's car.

I ran into the house to see Noah sitting on the couch talking to my dad. He looked up and saw me, immediately looking relieved.

"Noah?" I asked in confusion. "What's going on?" I glanced between Noah and my dad.

"I'll leave you two alone," Dad said, standing up from his position on the couch and walking into the kitchen.

"Noah, what are you doing here? I've called you twice now. Why weren't you at school? Are you avoiding me?"

He looked a tad overwhelmed by all of my questions.

"Rachel, how about we go upstairs and talk?" Noah suggested. I nodded my head in agreement and walked with him upstairs towards my bedroom. We entered my bedroom and I shut the door behind us to make sure we had privacy.

"Noah, what's going on? Talk to me," I begged, taking a seat beside him on the bed. I pulled my legs on the bed and sat Indian-style as I prepared myself to hear the whole story.

"Remember how I told you that my mom wasn't feeling well?" Noah asked.

"Yeah," I replied worriedly, "Why? You said that it was no big deal."

"Well, it wasn't when I left my house for our date," He responded. "When I got home she was a lot worse. She said that she was in a lot of pain and didn't know what was wrong. So, I took Hannah to the neighbor's house and drove my mom to the hospital."

"What happened? Is she okay?" I leaned forward and took a hold of his hands.

Noah shook his head. "Rachel, my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer last night."

I placed my hand over my mouth, "Is she going to be okay? How early did they catch it?"

"They caught it fairly early, but at her age there's no guarantee that she will make a full recovery," Noah said sadly. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. "My dad left us when I was little, Rachel. He just got up and walked away. I can't lose her too, Rachel. I just can't. I don't know what to do."

"Noah," I whispered and pulled him in for a hug. "You're not going to lose her. When your dad left he didn't care enough to stay. Your mom loves you, and Hannah. She's got something worth fighting for. Noah, cancer is battle that you mom is going to fight to win. From what I know of her, I know that she is a very strong woman, and I know she will fight until the end. Until then we just have to make sure the war is the best it can possibly be for her. Okay?"

I felt him nod in my arms, and I hugged him tighter. I hugged him until his tears stopped flowing.

* * *

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	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for the wait! :( **

**It took me a little longer than usual to write this chapter! **

**But I finally got it done! And here it is! :)**

* * *

The car was silent on the way to school. Usually when Noah drove me to school in the morning you could feel the seats vibrating the music was so loud, and the sound of us singing along to it was somehow even louder, but today Noah kept the radio silent. He kept his eyes forward; staring as the road as his knuckles turned white he was gripping the steering wheel so hard.

I ran my hand along his to calm him down, and took his right hand off the steering wheel to hold it in my own hands.

"Noah, it's going to be okay," I said softly, still attempting to calm him down.

His left hand's grip on the wheel softened and he relaxed in his seat. "It's just not fair. Why her? She's never done anything wrong. She's done nothing but tried to make Hannah and my lives better, and this is her reward?"

"I don't know why bad things happen to good people. You're right, it's not fair. But maybe instead of spending this time being angry about the illness, we can spend it celebrating your mom and her life. Don't you think she deserves that? A happy ending? With you and Hannah celebrating all that she has done for you?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Noah said quietly. "It's just really hard because Hannah doesn't really understand why mom is always tired, and how am I supposed to explain it to her if mom… you know…" His voice trailed off, and he glanced over at me before looking back out towards the road.

I looked forward as well. The thought had never crossed my mind. Hannah wasn't that young, but she was young enough to not understand how terrible cancer is. "The doctor said that you mom does have a chance at survival, right?" Noah nodded beside me. "Then, for now, let's just focus on the positive, okay?"

He nodded again, his eyes not moving from their place on the road. I kissed his knuckles, hoping to get him to relax even more.

"Would you maybe come over for dinner night?" Noah asked suddenly, finally glancing over at me. "You always seemed to make her happy, and Hannah likes you too."

I smiled, "I'd love to. I'll make dinner. I don't want you or your mom to go to the trouble of cooking for me at a time like this."

"Rachel, you don't have to d-" Noah started until I held up my hand to stop him.

"No, I insist. And make sure your mom knows that I am not taking no for an answer," I said, knowing that his mother would insist on cooking dinner for me.

"All right, I'll try to reason with her," Noah said, actually putting out a real genuine smile.

I smiled back at him, glad to see him finally relaxed and not thinking about the worst of possibilities.

* * *

I could tell that Noah was getting extremely annoyed during the school day. I would be too if everyone in the entire student body were all giving me the same look. A look of pity. The least they could do was same something to him, but instead they all opted to stand back motionless.

It was almost as if they were waited for him to explode. They were waiting for all of the anger he had built up inside to take over and make him return to his old bullying ways. Along with the pity, every student had a look if fear in their eyes.

I was a little shocked at the lack of faith they had in him. Noah had changed for the better, why couldn't anyone else see that? He used to treat me worse than any of them and now he was the person I trusted the most. Why couldn't they treat him better?

When the school day was finally over, Noah was in a rush to get out of the building. He practically dragged me to his car and drove me home. I didn't blame him. I wouldn't want to be in a play where I wasn't appreciated either.

* * *

Noah picked me up a quarter to six that night to take me to his house for dinner. The smell of my homemade casserole filled his car, making us both hungrier than we already were.

"That smells really good," Noah complimented. "My mom will love it."

I smiled, "How long did you two argue about who was cooking dinner tonight?"

"Well, she was stubborn at first, insisting that I call you and make you cancel your plans to make dinner, but eventually I got her to calm down. It didn't take as long as I thought it would to convince her, though,"

"That's good," I replied. "I'm excited to see her, it's been a while."

"She's excited to see you too. The second I came home from school and told her that you were coming over she wouldn't shut up about how excited she was. She started cleaning the house and getting everything all ready for you, so make sure you comment on it when we get there."

I laughed, "Okay, I'll be sure to do so."

"Hannah's excited to see you too. Just as a warning, she'll probably want to introduce you to all of her new stuffed animals tonight."

"She introduced me to them last time I was over! How many new ones could she have?"

"When the news of my mom spread around all the neighbors started bringing her things for comfort," Noah explained quietly, getting the same look he had earlier that morning.

"Oh." I regretted asking the question. It had an obvious answer. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that."

He shrugged. "It's okay. You didn't know." He relaxed again, making me relax knowing that he was more comfortable than he was this morning. "My mom and Hannah appreciate all that our neighbors are doing for us, but I think it's more of an invasion of privacy. Like they think that we can't do anything on our own anymore."

"At least you have people that care about you. I mean, what's worse? Having people bake for you and bring you gifts, or have no one give you nay bit of attention besides their looks of pity?"

He shrugged again. "I guess it's nice to know that they care. But I'm still wondering if they actually do care or if their acts of kindness are just because of the pity they took on us. I'd rather have no attention at all than have people pretend to care about me."

"Noah, your mother is a wonderful person. I'm sure all of these people genuinely care. Your mom is loved by many people," I said to him.

We spent the rest of the car ride in silence as we finished the trip to his house. We exited the car after we pulled up into his driveway and headed towards the house. I carried the casserole inside with me and placed it on the kitchen counter while Noah went to tell his mom and sister that I had arrived.

Shortly after that, I heard, multiple footsteps approaching the living room. Noah entered the room first muttering, "get ready" to me.

Hannah came running into the room and wrapped her small arms around my waist. "Rachel! You're here!"

"Hi, Hannah," I said, hugging her back. "Noah told me that you got some new friends."

Hannah smiled brightly. "I sure did! I'll go and get them! I'll be right back!" She turned around and ran out of the room as fast as she came in.

I smiled at Noah and shook my head as I laughed. He had the cutest little sister in the whole world.

"Don't run!" Noah's mother's voice came from the next room. Her voice sounded scratchy and tired, I could only imagine how tired she must be. She entered the room and smiled, her smile brightening her tired complexion. She had dark circles around her eyes, and she moved slowly. I had read somewhere that cancer caused pain; I couldn't even imagine what the woman was going through. "Rachel!" She said, still smiling. "It's so nice to see you again!"

"Hello," I said, smiling back at her. I made a note not to ask her how she was doing. I vaguely remembered Noah saying something about he home being cleaned. "You're house looks wonderful."

Her smile grew even wider. "Thank you, dear. We spent the entire day cleaning it up."

"Well you did a fantastic job. The place looks great."

"You're too kind," she replied. She glanced over at the table. "What have to brought us tonight?" She took a few steps closer to the table and took a seat on a neighboring chair.

I took the cover off of the container and showed her the casserole inside. "My home made casserole. I think you'll really enjoy it."

"I'm sure I will," she said, smelling the casserole.

Hannah came charging back into the room, about 10 stuffed animals in her arms. She laid them all out in a line across the table and pointed to the first one, a lion.

"Rachel, this is Leo, he's my lion," she moved onto the next animal. "This is Sally the snake, Oliver the otter, Ellie the elephant, Gloria the giraffe, Henry the hippopotamus, Lilly the lemur, Ben the Bird, Isaac the iguana, and Polly the panda."

"Wow!" I exclaimed, "It's so nice to meet you all." I waved towards all of her new toys, "I'm Rachel."

"Hi Rachel!" Hannah pretended to make them all say back to me.

"Hannah, why don't you clean up and wash up for dinner? Rachel made us a nice casserole for dinner," her mother said.

"Okay," Hannah said cheerfully, picking up all of her toys and heading back to her bedroom.

"Sorry you had to meet everyone. She's really excited that you're here," Mrs. Puckerman said to me.

"No, it's all right. I don't mind. She's adorable," I replied. "I used to do the same thing when I was little, but I was a very spoiled child and was always getting something new. I probably talked everyone's ear off every time I got a new toy."

"I think it's so sweet that everyone got her a new toy. They didn't have to do that," Mrs. Puckerman said.

I just smiled, because I wasn't exactly sure of how to respond. Mrs. Puckerman seemed to be so strong in this whole process. She didn't show one sign of defeat against the illness. Noah didn't know how lucky he was to have such a good mother. All my mother did was give birth to me, abandon me for 16 years, reconnect with me, and then tell me she didn't want me as her daughter.

I stopped my thought process. There was no need to make myself upset by thinking about Shelby.

"Noah," his mother said suddenly. "Why don't you put this in the microwave and heat it up again for us?"

"Sure, mom," he said, taking the food and following his mothers orders.

Hannah came back into the room, fresh for dinner. "Rachel!" she said, "Come and sit next to me." She pulled me to the table and made me sit in the chair next to hers. "I love it when you're here! It's my favorite time of the day!"

"I love it when I'm over here too!" I said back to her. I smiled at Noah, who was already doing the same to me. He had the best family I had ever seen, I was so grateful to have the chance to get to know them. I then saw Noah give his mother a sad glance, sadness washing over me as well. What would happen if the cancer did beat her? Noah wasn't close to being 18 yet. Where would he go? Where would Hannah go? I glanced at the little girl next to me, as she played with her hair. Their perfect little family of three would be ruined.

I was brought out of my thoughts when Noah placed the reheated casserole in the center of the table and then took a seat across from me. We all dished out food for ourselves and began to eat. We easily slipped into conversation and spent the evening talking and laughing. Why couldn't I have been with Noah sooner?

* * *

Noah pulled into my driveway that night to drop me off. He shut off the car engine and turned to face me. "Thank you for coming over tonight, Rachel. It was the first time in a while that I've seen her actually smile. She loved that you took the time to come over and visit us."

"It was my pleasure. I loving coming to visit you guys," I replied. "You have a great family."

"What a sick mom raising her two kids on her own while the dad rots away in prison? Yeah, what a great family."

"A great family isn't a perfect family," I said quietly.

He grabbed one of my hands. "I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry. I know that your mom flat-out ditched you."

I shrugged. "It was her choice to leave. The wrong choice, I might add. She's going to miss out on me moving to New York and becoming famous. She's the one missing out, not me." I looked at him. "Same with your dad. It's his own fault that he's missing you and Hannah grow up. He could have had a great life, but he chose to mess it up."

"I never really thought about it that way."

"The only was to really enjoy life is to think about the positive and focus on the future instead of dwelling on the 'what ifs' and the past."

"Your mom is so going to regret her decisions when she sees your name in lights some day and sees how incredible you are. She'll finally realize how perfect you are, but it will be too late to have you back. But like you said, it's her loss."

I smiled, leaning in to kiss him. "Thank you, Noah." I grabbed the door handle of the car. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he replied, kissing me one last time before I got out of the car. I waved goodbye to him before I walked into my house.

_Best boyfriend ever._

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**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Review! Review! Review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter TWELVE!**

* * *

-Two Months Later-

"I can't pick you up tomorrow," Noah said, pulling into the school's parking lot. "Actually, I won't be at school at all tomorrow."

"Why?" I asked. Noah was getting better at telling me when he was or wasn't going to be in school the next day. Actually, we had smoothed out all the bumps in our relationship over the past two months.

"My mom has an appointment tomorrow and Hannah and I are going with her. My mom wanted to take us both out to lunch since she's been feeling a bit better lately."

"Oh, that's nice," I replied. "You're mom's been feeling better?"

"Yes, she's been feeling more like herself lately," he pulled into a parking space near the front of the lot and turned the engine off. He turned to face me before continuing on, "I don't want to get my hopes up, but it seems like she might actually be getting better. I mean, she's had her good days and her bad days, but this "good" period has lasted a while, and it's gotten better and better."

"Noah, that's great!" I exclaimed, "I'm so happy for you guys." I threw my arms around him. "Last time I was over I noticed that she seemed brighter than usual, but I didn't look that much into it."

"Yeah, my mom's been doing a good job at hiding how she really feels, but lately she has seemed a lot happier. She's doing things around the house again and playing with Hannah again, but I know if I say what I want to say the doctor's results will just end up being the same they have the past few months. 'Terrific progress. Keep up the hard work.' That's all the doctors say, but I never see any terrific progress."

"Well, regardless of what the doctor has to say, I think it's wonderful that your mother is able to spend time with you," I said. "I'm sure Hannah's happy about it."

"Thrilled," Noah chuckled. "We have to play tea party every night."

"Ooo, sounds lovely," I joked, knowing Noah hated anything elegant.

"Good, because she's mentioned inviting you once or twice."

"Good. It sounds wonderful," I said pretending to be excited about the invitation.

* * *

As we walked down the halls I had to continuously squeeze Noah's hand in reassurance. The stares were still occurring, much to Noah's dismay.

Most of the drama surrounding Noah's mother at school died down, but he still received the occasional glance, shortening his temper even more than it already was.

"It's okay, just ignore them," I soothed, rubbing him arm with my palm to calm him down. "They don't know what's going on, and they don't even care enough about you to even try to be respectful. Ignore them."

"I know, I just wish that they'd mind their own business. It's not their job to know every little detail about my mom's cancer. People I've never even talked to before think that they can suddenly come up to me and start a conversation. Where is this sure boldness coming from? They all used to fear me.

"You're becoming a better person, and they know that, and they feel the need to test your limits. They just want to know how far they can push this new Noah. Just let them know that they are taking things to far and they'll back off. And if they don't, I'll just have to beat them up for you," I pretended to flex one of my arms to show him my tiny muscles.

"Yeah, okay Rachel, I'll keep that in mind," he chuckled, slinging an arm around my shoulder and walking me to my first class.

* * *

"All right everyone," Mr. Schuester began, starting to talk to the glee club about some artist he idolized as a kid. I was a bit surprised that he never had us do any type of tribute to Noah's mom. Maybe, he too, thought Noah couldn't handle all the sympathy everyone was sending him. Yet again, I was shocked at the lack of faith everyone seemed to have in my boyfriend.

It's not like he is planning on attacking everyone that says something mildly nice to him. Haven't they realized that a bit of compassion was exactly what he needs at the moment? Especially for Hannah's sake. That's Noah's number one priority at the moment, making sure his little sister is doing all right throughout this process. She is starting to understand that something is really, really wrong with her mother, and Hannah is starting to get very upset because of it.

I visit their household often, bringing different toys each time so I can easily distract Hannah for an evening. Noah says that my presence really helps Hannah through her sadness, which I am very grateful for.

I remembered Noah's news from this morning. His mother was doing better. This news warmed my heart, knowing that things might be on the right track again. His mother was one of the kindest people I have ever met, and she deserves this the least. She's also one of the strongest women I have ever met, and I know that she won't give up with out a fight.

* * *

I arrived home from school that afternoon, and saw my dad sitting on the couch, flipping through some channels on the TV.

"Hello, Dad, how was work today?" I asked, setting my things down on the couch.

"Long," he answered simply. "I'm just trying to sit here and relax now."

I sighed and sat down beside him. "I know exactly how you're feeling right now."

He turned to face me, "Is everything okay at school?" He looked alarmed by my statement. "Are those kids teasing you again?"

"No, it's nothing like that. Things at school are great," I replied, calming his nerves. "I'm just worried about Noah and his family, that's all."

"How are things going with his mother? And news?"

"Yes, Noah says that his mother is doing a lot better," I said. "She has an appointment tomorrow, and my fingers are crossed for some good news! His mom has her good and bad days, but he says that this good period has gone on for a while, and I can't help but hope for the best."

"Well, cancer is a tricky disease, sweetheart," Dad told me. "Things aren't always what they seem."

"I know," I said dejectedly.

"Rachel, don't get upset, I just don't want you to get your hopes up," Dad responded. "The news might be what you think it is, but I want you to know that is might be the opposite of what you're thinking as well."

"That's what Noah's worried about. Getting his hopes up, and then having the doctor come in and crush his hopes."

"Rachel, from what you've told me, Noah's mother seems to be a very strong woman that has something incredible to live for, I'm sure she's going to keep on fighting until the end."

"I know," I said, "I wish bad things didn't happen to good people."

"I don't know why the best people suffer through the worst," Dad said. "But, maybe it's because they are the only ones who have something to live for and are able to fight the diseases."

"It's still not fair."

"No, but all we can really do is help them through it, and show them how much we love them."

I smiled up at him, "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Rachel."

* * *

**Review! :)**

**And, I'm not sure how fast I'll be able to update, because this week I have to babysit everyday, I have a job interview, AND I have three tests... so I'll try my best!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Here's chapter Thirteen! :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Noah couldn't give me a ride to school the next day. When I asked him the reason for his sudden cancellation, he didn't respond, making me more suspicious. I cleared my head of any negative thoughts; his cancellation doesn't mean something bad happened. This doesn't mean he is sitting at home with his family preparing the worst. Maybe he has a flat tire… maybe he has a terrible cold… or maybe he needs to give Hannah a ride to school again. Anything is possible.

Dad offered to give me a ride to school, but I declined the offer, I opted to walk to school since the warm spring air was finally starting to fall among Lima. Walking always helped me clear my head anyways, and this was definitely the time to clear my head. However, thoughts of Noah and his family still invaded my mind, and I couldn't seem to shake them. This was a weakness of mine, assuming the worst of all situations. Jesse pointed that out once while we were still dating. That was a specialty of his, pointing out the flaws of others. Another thought came crashing into my mind, one that had been haunting my mind forever. Why did I ever even date Jesse in the first place? I've asked myself the question a million times before, but I never came up with an excuse that was good enough. Jesse was a terrible human being. He treated me like dirt and pushed me aside for everything else. A quote from my favorite novel _The Perks of Being a Wallflower _came into my mind. "We accept the love we think we deserve." Being tormented throughout high school really makes a girl feel special. It made me feel worthless and unappreciated inside. Sure, I kept my head held high and stayed strong, but doesn't anyone realize how hard it is to be hated? Jesse was exactly what I thought I deserved. If asked, I would have said I wanted a prince charming, or a heroic gentleman to rescue me from the harsh world someday, but deep down inside, I felt that I didn't deserve someone like that. Now, Noah is my Prince Charming, rescuing me from the evil emperor Jesse St. James.

I finished my walk and entered the school building, happy about my decision to walk. Everything in the school was as it usually was. Friends were in their usual cliques, teachers were huddled by the door to the teacher's lounge, and Suzie Pepper was gazing at he latest pepper in her jar. _And people think I'm weird._ I reached my locker, and glanced up and down the hall for Noah. I really need to stop expecting him to randomly show up when I'm looking for him. Why is it that when I still hated him, he was _always _around, and now that I actually want to see him, he is never around? He's never going to randomly show up!

"Hey, you," I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist, and I jumped at the sudden action. I turned around to see Noah standing behind me, a smile radiating from his face.

_And he chooses today to randomly show up? Nice one, Noah._

"Noah! I was wondering where you were," I said, accepting the kiss he gave me. His arms wrapped tighter around my waist, making my heart melt right out of my chest.

"Sorry I missed you this morning, Rachel. Things were a little crazy at home and I was running late," Noah explained.

"That's okay," I said running my hands up and down his arms that were still around my waist. "Is everything okay? You never told me about your mom. She had that appointment yesterday, right?"

"Yes. She did," Noah said, suddenly backing away from me. "Do you think we could go somewhere more private and talk about this?"

I was concerned, "Is something wrong?"

"Just come with me," he said, interlacing our fingers and pulling me down that hall.

We made our way through the crowded halls of the school and entered the auditorium. He flipped the lights on, lighting the previously dark stage. He led me over to the piano bench and suggested that I sit down for his information. I did as I was told, and then looked up at his with wide eyes as I readied myself for what he was about to tell me.

"Noah, what is going on? You're scaring me."

He took a deep breath and rubbed his hands together. "I don't really know where to start." He paced around a few times before settling again and looking directly into my eyes. "Yesterday at the doctor's appointment is a day I will never forget. It was like I was walking into a room to receive the information that would determine the rest of my life. I know I'm supposed to be this big and strong guy, but I was so scared. I mean, where would Hannah and I end up without any parents left?"

"Noah, what happened?" I asked, taking one of his hands to calm him down.

"The doctor came in, and it was like we all stopped breathing. Everything was in slow motion, and I could barely stand it. He started talking about the survival rate of cancer patients around my mom's age, and they weren't very high. Then, he started telling us about the hardships of cancer and the possibilities for Hannah and I. I didn't want to know where he was going with it, and all I wanted to do was leave. All I wanted to do was see you and go back a few months when everything was perfect. Back to that night when we went to Breadstix and we were so happy."

I smiled; glad that I could be a source of comfort for him.

Noah sat down on the bench beside me and took both of my hands in his. "I know I can't go back, and dwell on the past, just like you said, and I guess I finally realized that in the doctor's office. Yes, everything that's been happening is terrible, but why should we focus only on that? Why can't we celebrate all the good times we've had with my mom, and cherish the time that we have left?" Noah looked deeper into my eyes, "I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Noah," I said before tightly wrapping my arms around his neck. He returned the hug, and buried his face in my neck. I barely heard him whisper the words "I love you, Rachel."

I froze in my seat. Did he just say that?

Noah obviously felt my reaction to his words, and pulled back. "You don't have to say anything. I just wanted to let you know that I do love you, and you are, in fact, the most important person to me."

It was the second time those words had been said to me. The first time I was scared and confused by the confession. I questioned the entire relationship and the meaning of the word love. What is love? Caring about a person endlessly? Always thinking about them? I never felt that way about Jesse. And now? Sitting here? Only one thing came to mind. One thing I couldn't be more positive about.

"Noah, I love you too."

The smile on his face grew unbelievably wide and he pulled me in for a tight hug. He pulled away, and looked the happiest I have ever seen him.

"Rachel, seriously, I don't know what I would do without you. If you hadn't have come into my life when you did, I'd probably still be some deadbeat, turning out to be just like his dad."

"Hey, don't say that about yourself. You have a good heart, and I know you would have turned out good regardless," I assured him. "And, besides, I didn't come into your life. I believe you forced me into a date with you by promising that afterwards we'd never speak to each other again."

"Oh, yeah. It was like that, wasn't it?" Noah chuckled. He rubbed his thumb across my knuckles, "It's a shame I'm just now figuring out all of this."

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"I didn't finish telling you what happened at the doctor's office," Noah said.

"What did he say?" I asked, hoping it wasn't bad news.

"It looks like we'll be putting up with my mom a little bit more than we though we would."

"Noah?" I said softly, not wanting to get my hopes up.

"She's in remission."

I practically knocked him off the piano bench by the enormous hug I launched at him. He chuckled as he hugged me back.

"Really? Noah! That's amazing!" I beamed at him, more excited than I had ever been.

"Everything is finally going the way I want it to."

"And it's going to stay that way," I said. "You deserve it Noah, you're a good person."

"And it's all thanks to you."

* * *

**Well, as much as it saddens me to say, that is the end of One Love, One Heart. I really enjoyed writing this story, and I wanted to thank all of you who have read it and especially thank the ones who reviewed! **

**Stay excellent! :)**

**-Emma8745-**


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